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Arranging for transport for the children.
As building progressed, time tables, rotas and educational programmes were drawn up
and staff briefed.
The school was completed and ready for occupation in June 1970. It is run as two
departments with a certain amount of co-mingling.
Department I. Day hospital and special care units 35 places
Department II. School department 70 places
The children attend daily during the usual school terms and are transported to and
from the school. Meals are brought in from a central kitchen.
Everything functioned smoothly from the start. The more sophisticated a society
becomes the higher its standard of education, the more complicated and technical it is, the
more obvious is the deviation from the norm of those who cannot keep up with their fellows
and as the principle must be accepted that all children whatever the extent or nature of their
handicap have a right to some place in the education system, it is the purpose and function of
this school to provide facilities so that the approach to the education of mentally handicapped
children may be a real and positive one reflecting increasing knowledge about human learning
and teaching techniques.
Day Nurseries
Dr.G.Richards, Senior Medical Officer for Child Care, writes:-
Despite the higher fees in Day Nurseries, requests for admission continue to be high.
The waiting lists of priority cases could have filled another three or four nurseries. It is
evident that despite the increase in Play Groups and Nursery Schools, Nursery places are still
in great demand. Parents and those they turn to for help see just the individual child and try
to exert pressure for the admission of the one they consider the only pressing case. This
adds to the work of the Nursery staff and to the difficulty of keeping an overall general picture
of all the individual needs.
The number of students in training has been lowered in the interests of economy. This
has unfortunately come at a time when the value of the N.N.E.B. Diploma has become widely
known and respected as a qualification for children's work. Three years ago many of the
students were anxious to continue work in our own Nurseries as there were few openings for
them elsewhere unless they wished to go for further training as nurses or teachers. Vacancies
were kept open for them to qualify as we were then able to choose the best of that year's
students for our own Nurseries.
This year only one student decided to continue in a Day Nursery after obtaining her
N.N.E.B. qualification. The posts the others applied for and easily obtained were varied;
some went into libraries and offices, where although untrained, salaries were higher; some
went for teaching or nursing training; others were swallowed up to work as private nannies,
with babies in hospitals, in nursery, special or infant schools or play groups. It is perhaps
not surprising that these young people opted for the easier work, shorter hours and longer
holidays. The work in nurseries has long hours and, as many difficult children who cannot
be managed at home or in a play group require admission to a Day Nursery, the work is very
heavy and exacting - but also very rewarding.
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